Still ice on Canyon Ferry in the Helena Area Outdoors Report
By Matt Schauer

Posted: March 17, 2012

Hi folks, Angie here from BOB WARD & SONS, and you won’t find a better time to fish than RIGHT NOW in the Helena area! As long as you can stand a little brisk BREEZE, of course!

First off, we’d better let you know that unless we have a REAL cold snap again, it’s pretty near “ice out” at CANYON FERRY…the Silos reported yesterday that the ice has backed off the shores and drawn toward the middle of the lake, and the north end of the lake is open water now too. Reports of SOME folks trying for perch at Duck Creek, & there’s still ice there, but how that will stand after the weekend, we just don’t know! You’ll have to trek to the higher-up places to get REAL ice, like maybe Georgetown Lake or over Bozeman way in Hyalite Canyon, or up on Hebgen Lake. It’s time to find yourself some open water and launch your boat! We have heard of some boats in Gates of the Mountain having good success. Even the Kokanee salmon run on the Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir is tapering off, with the ice breaking up, so time to switch into Spring Mode—you know between now & the runoff season, this is the BEST local fishing you can get!

It’s windy on the Missouri this week, but find a sheltered area close to the Dam upstream of Wolf Creek and pull out your Sow Bugs, San Juans in Pinks & Rusts, Scuds & Beaded Pale Morning Duns and you will have some FINE success. Go small on the sizes—nothing larger than a 12 right now! Wanna head out of town? Try the RUBY RIVER, just below the Dam in the tailwater…the trout are stacked in the deeps and looking low for Eggs & Worms!

You should all have your 2012 licenses by now, but if not, pick yours up at the Helena Bob Wards, along with the current Regs.

SHOWDOWN & GREAT DIVIDE haven’t racked up a LOT of snow this week, but conditions are still mighty excellent at both hills! Snow’s predicted for the weekend at the higher elevations (we valley dwellers may get RAIN instead!), so there’s likely to be some fresh powder on your otherwise-groomed trails. All lifts are open.

The folks at the Helena Bob Wards ask you to be SAFE on the waters this weekend, stay out of the wind gusts, and we’ll catch up again next week, folks!

 

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